First Date
by Pia-san
Summary: First date? Seriously? But they'd known each other for longer than 13 years now! Never mind, it still makes my heart thump, my head spin and my steps falter :) Akane thinks of her life with Ranma in five steps. Literally. This is sort of cannon. Set in the distant future. I hope you enjoy it!


"First Date"

A Ranma ½ One-shot Fanfiction by Pia-san.

Las Updated: 19th June.2014

OOOOOOO

Disclaimer:

All the legal stuff that everybody knows goes here. None of the characters are mine; they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and to Viz Communications. The characters are being used without permission, but no profit is being made either.

OOOOOOO

It'd been the first time Ranma had actually asked Akane out. As in an actual date. An actual... date? Apparently, that's what it was. In her mind it was plenty debatable. In her heart, though... Her heart kept telling her that it wasn't debatable at all. Or she wouldn't have gone through the trouble of making sure that he got the message in her heart loud and clear—Wait...- what?

That was when the mist of denial that had been happily floating around her head came to a screeching halt. The world froze around her, for a second, the mist clearing up. And she saw it all very, very clearly. The intensity of her suddenly acknowledged emotions made her stumble and miss a step that her very high heels couldn't help her save with the grace she would have liked.

Well, shit...

Here she was, in the middle of one of the most wonderful and frightening moments of her life, and her body reacted by tripping on her own feet. Time slowed down as her body started to react to the lack of balance. And in the meantime, her head was a mess.

She was suddenly thrilled, elated, scared and unsure, all at the same time. While berating herself for being so dumb. Of course. Epiphanies were like that, she guessed. One moment everything has a certain colour, then a switch goes on that shows everything under a different light. It doesn't matter afterwards whether the switch remains on or not. The colors can't be unseen.

She couldn't remember when it was that she decided she wanted him. For real. Maybe even loved him as something more. She probably always had. Or at the very least, she wanted to see if there was more to see. More than very close friendship. And the curiosity had nearly killed her. Because everything was exactly the same as she remembered. Only older, obviously. And, gods… so much better. More intense. More direct. But at the same time… quieter. Placid, even. Comfortable. Even if things had been plenty comfortable between them for a long time, now.

Five years can seem like a lifetime, and over such a long time Akane assumed everything should have changed. But then again, maybe she was just fooling herself. Even longer ago, things hadn't really changed, had them, after their very brief and only attempt at being something more than friends. Afterwards, they'd had no problems staying the same as always. It had happened such a long time ago, that she had trouble remembering exactly how it had come to happen... I'd been the lack of pressure, mostly. And maybe a lot of alcohol. Maybe...

After her father had decided that her daughter's happiness and peace of mind meant more than the family tradition and the pressure of the engagement was finally off, Akane had lost a bit of her eternal edge. The fiancées had started to get bored, leaving Ranma alone little by little, until they'd disappeared from the scene entirely. Afterwards, there'd been time to get to know each other as friends, and then as roommates, away from home while they did their degrees in University.

And there, for a while, amidst all the studying and the partying, something had happened. Akane had liked to call it alcoholic inevitability at the time. But she'd later come to believe it'd probably been nothing more than a case of acute loneliness. How else could it have happened? No amount of alcohol would have made him chase her as much as he'd done that night. And Ranma... Oh gods, she remembered how he'd been those first couple of years al Uni, going all over the place like he suddenly had had something to prove, it seemed to her. Perhaps it'd been due to the lack of fiancées. Perhaps he'd discovered he actually liked to give chase While he had been Akane's first, Ranma'd been fooling around, no strings attached, since the moment they'd settled in that tiny flat with three other people, right next to campus. She'd seen it happen many times. She'd seen how he'd turn on the charm, and sighs would inevitably follow. Akane thought he'd discovered some sort of recipe to get girls twirling their hair around their fingers, batting her lashes at him, and making them think it was a perfectly reasonable idea to spend the night with this boyish, charming guy, who was too complicated and in search of true mastery to think it would last more than a week. That had been the pattern. At first Akane had been a bit hurt. But then she'd gotten over it, and later taken front seat to the mess that had become of Ranma's love life. But it was OK. Ranma was a good friend to her. They had similar outtakes on life after all. They shared views on the things that were important, as far a she was concerned. They could discuss anything and everything. And of course, there were always martial arts to bind then. And she guessed some tension had always remained. That was sort of a given. They'd been through so much together.

So, why would she have felt the need to bother, when chances were she'd only end up another name on a long list of nameless faces? And possibly subject them both, and their flatmates, to the awkwardness of dealing with an extended case of the morning after? She had been very lonely, at some point during those days. And also, most likely, she'd just needed to get it out of her system. So after a drunken night, and to the surprise of no one in the flat as it'd turned out, they'd found themselves tangled in bed together. Amazingly enough, they'd afterwards sort of decided that maybe it was time for them to try this out for real, and see what happened. It hadn't been good. Akane wasn't sure she'd enjoyed it very much. While Ranma had been very enthusiastic, he'd also been so very full of himself. Too much so. Maybe the girls he'd been with played into that card. But it did nothing for her. Even worse, it was a bit of a turn off. But besides all that, he continuously boasted about the large life he had to live. And go out and see the world. And train with the greatest masters. This was all there was to life. Nothing else mattered. The girls digged that. She knew. She'd heard it and seen it a thousand times, like a series of bad re-runs that you just had to watch over and over because there was nothing else on. Akane was almost tired of hearing it. To top it all, she hadn't thought much of herself at the time, or that she was that big a deal for someone as popular and sought after as Ranma had been during those Uni years. Who was she to compete with that great life he was planning for himself? Back then, she'd had a lot yet to learn about her worth. She hadn't been really interested in messing up their friendship either. It was important to her, for some weird reason. And besides, she was sort of maybe falling for the Irish exchange student, with the green bright eyes and long hair and ridiculous accent, who continuously found reasons to visit the flat, or bump into her around campus. Never mind he'd ended up being one of those real weirdoes. But that was another story.

So their accidental stumble into adult bedroom activities had ended a very abrupt death only two weeks after it had started.

Surprisingly, it had been almost entirely pain free.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore. It makes me feel weird." she'd said, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Ok," he'd said with a short nod of his head, and a small smile on his lips.

And that had been that. They'd gotten right back on schedule. Sort of.

A week after their affair had ended, Ranma had gotten a girlfriend. A real one. Someone who stuck around. And then another some six months after that. And then another one eight months after that one. And so on. Apparently, although it'd shocked Akane to realise this, Ranma liked to be in relationships. Surprise, surprise. And he would complain to Akane when they dumped him, because it would seem he couldn't be trusted to follow certain paths. And he would complain to Akane when he dumped them, because they needed every bit of the path laid out before their eyes, and he couldn't take it feeling so chained. Ranma liked to travel, he liked to be unpredictable. It made Akane laugh, because he was very predictable that way.

And throughout all this time, they'd kept their friendship. They'd remain close, to a point when it sometimes caused the girlfriends' jealousy. It made Akane laugh even more. If they only knew. Ranma continued to bring out the worst in her, somehow, and she spent a lot of time being angry over things he did, although not quite as much as when they'd been engaged.

But the tension had still been there. She supposed it was just their thing. Ranma was a very attractive man. Compelling. Intense, phisical and energetic. And Akane somehow understood he felt protective of her, maybe wanted her to some extent. But their relationship was very clear. And she was not going to go blurring those lines. Not for a bit of physical attraction. Not when the risk was getting tangled and ending up as broken as all those girlfriends. Not when Ranma was important, somehow. She could well be attracted to a number of people, and it didn't have to mean anything. It hardly ever did. And besides, they'd already tried it. And it had sucked.

The close friendship, though... Akane wasn't sure why humans needed other humans in their lives to be close, which usually meant they were allowed to tell you things that hurt you, all in the spirit of helping you. Honestly. He'd always wondered about Akane's lack of relationships. It wasn't as if there hadn't been any takers. There were plenty. Or maybe just enough of them to get people wondering why the hell was Akane single. She just didn't like them too much to bother. She did sometimes, and it usually ended badly. Or in a big disappointment. Disappointments were the worst. And besides, she was very independent. That's what she'd told herself those days. That she was an independent woman. That she liked to be by herself. That she really didn't need the drama in her life. Because inevitably, there was always drama. She despised the drama. Really couldn't deal with it.

As the years in university had gone by, Ranma had always been there, asking her why was it that a woman as good as herself continued to suffer morons. Even if they were very occasional morons. He didn't understand it. She'd been so self assured when they'd met, he'd usually reminded her. She'd had the whole of Furinkan High falling at her feet. Literally. He didn't understand what had changed in her so much. It was true. Something had changed inside her, and she didn't know why or what it was. And while Ranma's comments were probably meant to be reassuring, they made her feel like a failure. Like she was now less than she'd used to be. Somehow she didn't dare to feel vulnerable, to expose herself to someone. Maybe it had been all Ranma's fault. Big shocker, if that was the case. Maybe she'd somehow come to believe she was unsexy and untalented and violent as a gorilla, and all those other awful things he'd called her. So she'd never understood what he'd meant either when he'd told her that she was good and beautiful, and to hell with those assholes. Even while he was an asshole to his girlfriends half of the time. Even while he'd been such an asshole to her when they'd met, and for so many years afterwards.

And then, almost eight years after Ranma had walked into the family dojo, and into her life, he'd decided to walk out, and start his travels around the world. Finally.

Akane had been a bit heartbroken. She remembered more of her life living with him, a constant annoyance, than from before the Saotomes had come to live at the dojo. But she'd been excited for him all the same. And she'd also been excited for herself as well. It would be a new life for her, too.

They'd somehow kept in touch, tried to continue their friendship, even if sometimes a whole year went by without anything more than the odd postcard. But the connection didn't seem to wane, or lose importance, at least not in Akane's mind. She understood him, somehow. And Ranma understood her. They'd both experienced the best and worst in each other.

Akane had been right. Her life had changed plenty after he'd left. She'd taken over her father's dojo after he'd moved to the mountains, arguing the city life was not meant for those of old age. Mr. Saotome had followed into his friend's footsteps. Nabiki had moved into a very modern flat in the business district. Kasumi had long ago moved in with her husband, even years before Akane had finished university. And so now the dojo was all hers to do as she pleased. And it was a very beautiful place that she cherished and nourished. She felt happy and accomplished pouring all of her energy into it. And very slowly had come to realise what it was that Ranma meant, when he said she was good. She understood that she was really close to Ranma's heart, that he saw her for what she really was, even while she herself didn't know what that was half of the time. And she grew into that beautiful woman she'd always wanted to be.

There was nothing quite like being happy and comfortable in your own skin.

That was when the men had started pouring in again. Different kind of men, it made sense, somehow. But now she wanted to be picky. Because she deserved it. Even Ranma thought so. Not anyone would do, and she was happy with her independent life. She didn't want to give that up to anyone who might end up being an asshole anyway. Unfortunately, she had to be patient and resilient. There was a lot of loneliness involved in being picky. But she didn't mind. She was very happy with herself.

It was five years before Ranma set foot in Japan again.

The letter she'd received said he was coming back, that he was suddenly tired of travelling, that he missed home terribly. And could he please come stay at the dojo for a few weeks, before he figured out what he was going to do, as he didn't quite like the idea of going to seclude himself in the mountains with the two old farts. Akane had been surprisingly giddy and excited, and had told her friends and her sisters. They had teased her mercilessly. And she had laughed with them, because the teasing was very obvious, and she was too excited over seeing Ranma again to be bothered. She hadn't once stopped to wonder why she felt so giddy. It was only Ranma, after all.

And then he'd come back. And Akane hadn't been able to help it. She'd run up to the door to hug him, throwing her arms around his neck, smiling through her shock, both at the sight of him and at her reaction, with a sting in her eyes. And he'd enveloped her in a massive bear hug that took her by surprise, very clearly happy to see her, too.

It had been like a gigantic slap on the face. Whatever it was he had been doing all these years, he had managed to sort himself out. And in their interaction, the familiarity was there. It very nearly killed her, how easy it had been, how everything that she remembered was still there. But so much better. Akane realised that the honest and insensitive Ranma she'd known had still been a kid with too much testosterone. But this man that had come through her door... This was the fully grown version. And it messed with her ability to think properly.

On that first week back, she'd seen a lot of him. She'd seen him go about his day, setting routines, going out to find an occupation, taking time to talk to the people Akane trained in the dojo, and to help out the elderly woman who 'helped' with the finances. Talking to the people they saw on streets, to the vendors in the market. He had developed the ability to talk up a lamp post. Women and older people were the easiest prays to his charms. They never failed to assume Ranma and Akane were a couple, and Ranma never vehemently denied it. What difference does it make, he'd argue when Akane asked about it, and shrug his shoulders. It made Akane feel weird. Ranma talked to her a lot, too. He asked about her sisters, about her friends (he even remembered their names!), about her life, about her hobbies. He asked about her relationships, whether there were or had been important people, and asked to spar with her, deferred respectfully on all dojo matters. He didn't overstep any bounds, or react harshly anymore. He was a different person. The same and different and better. It made her weak in the knees. It took a couple of days for Akane to realise that it was obvious. They'd finally grown up. But the worst of it all was that the bad bits that she'd always seen in him, the overlarge ego, the self centeredness… which allowed her to compartimentalise what she felt for him, now seemed to be gone. Instead, five years later, there seemed to be added layers to the good bits that were already there. And more expression marks around his eyes, and probably slightly thicker around the stomach. Somehow, she found him more attractive. So once more, as it had happened in recent years with more and more frequency, she thanked the gods which made time pass. Or maybe not so much. The tension...the damn tension that she had always sensed when they'd been together was still there, only now it was worse. She wondered if it was the same for him. Could he feel her efforts at behaving normally? The problem was, Akane didn't want to be bothered or affected by any of this. This was only Ranma, after all.

They'd taken up a habit of staying up late, talking and arguing over dinner and over some silly TV show, which was very bad for her. Her day started before dawn. As did his, actually, but she couldn't begrudge their time catching up. She'd missed him something awful, she now realised. She felt happier and lighter. To top it up. she felt they were now closer than before. There was this trust she couldn't quite describe. They didn't yell at each other, they spoke in quieter voices instead. It drew them physically together, it seemed to her. And after a few days, she blamed her sleep deprived mind for feeling so bummed, after she reminded herself that it was only a matter of time before Ranma found a decent enough job to continue on with his life, or a new girlfriend or whatever, even if he'd only recently ended his 'most important' relationship to date, back somewhere in China.

And then one evening they'd been about to wrap dinner up. Ranma'd been telling her about the job he'd gotten at an agency nearby, and that he wanted to celebrate. He'd softly and absently grabbed her hand, trapping it between his warm palm and the table underneath, the pad of his fingers running slow, lazy circles close to her wrist. Holding her gaze with his own, he'd told her he wanted to take Akane out to dinner, somewhere fancy, where they'd have to dress up, and where the bill would be expensive, and that she should pick the place.

She'd been very startled. And very scared. What she'd felt when she'd heard him say those words, 'take you out to dinner', had been very confusing. But she'd smiled, and said that it seemed like a very good idea, that she'd be honoured he wanted to celebrate with her. But the tension. Oh, dear gods, the tension…

And he'd smiled that amazingly handsome smile of his, that had made all the girlfriends forgive his assholeness in the past, and said. "It's a date, then."

That had been her downfall. Right afterwards, she'd run to her room, leaving Ranma to clear up the dirty dished, as she busied herself setting out her futon, ignoring the fact that her heart was racing and her stomach was twitching a bit.

It was a date? As in, appointment? As in friends going out to dinner? Like they had dinner every evening now? Or a date-date?

She was _not_ in her early thirties and wondering about things like a teenager, was she? Nu-huh!

Perhaps it'd been then that things had started to change for Akane. At some point over the next following days, Akane had decided that maybe Ranma had finally asked her out, after all these many years, that this was going to be their first real date, even if she couldn't quite sell the idea to herself. And so what? They were adults. It would be fine. They could go out on a date. She would play the part. She'd been to plenty of dates and read the signals and understood the language. So on the following days, she'd started laying it on, not exactly thick, but thick enough, thinking that perhaps, if something was going to give, it would give now, before they went out on a friendly dinner and she managed to make a complete fool of herself. So she smiled more. Touched him more on his arms, whenever she had the chance. Asked him for help with completely doable stuff. She allowed herself to be caught staring at him as he walked from the bathroom to his room after his bath, wearing very little items of clothing, and then she played dumb and smiled placidly. At some point she realised she was selling herself the idea of him, because she was sure he was going to back down. Like it had been a challenge. But his attitude towards her never changed. Maybe a little. She felt he touched her more, too. But that had been that. Still friendly. Still close. Still familiar. Akane was starting to become a bit anxious, a bit frayed around the edges. Maybe playing these games it hadn't been such a good idea after all. But to her surprise, she found that she couldn't stop.

A few days later, Ranma had shown up at the dojo after work, like he hadn't been living there for two weeks already, dressed like he'd just come out of a photo session, making her heart skip.

And Ranma, her very dear friend… Did she want that? To continue as they had been since forever? Attraction was all good and well, but… She hadn't been able to help thinking there was a lot at stake. But at the very least, she'd always have the expression on his face when he'd seen her, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline, his mouth opening a little to say something. But nothing had come out. She'd walked up to him and smiled, feeling sexy as hell, almost leaning into him as she picked an imaginary lint from the neck of his sweater, and had told him that he looked very, very handsome. That she didn't know he cleaned up so well. He'd smiled and told her she was beautiful, that he wanted to walk to the restaurant if her shoes would allow it, because every man they saw would be dying of envy and wish they were him.

It had made Akane's heart flutter in a way that she'd forgotten hearts could do. But it was all part of the game, she told herself. Things should go back to normal soon enough.

So they'd gone out, and they'd had their fun. And then dinner was over, and then their drinks in a nice terrace overlooking the city were over, and they had started to head back home.

Ohhh, the familiarity, again. It was like a double edged sword. It seemed they had done this a million times over the years. Walking silently side by side, back home to the dojo, back home to their tiny flat in the city, to school, to uni, to do the shopping. Everything reminded her of comfortable routines. From his assured steps to his straight forward manner whenever he spoke, in some need of added empathy, perhaps, to the soft transformation of his handsome features when a simple smile lighted his face when they engaged in some banter.

And from one second to the next, she couldn't take the tension anymore, couldn't handle rationalising anything about their relationship anynmore, couldn't do anything other than face the fact the she very much wanted Ranma, and she had managed to get herself into an emotional corner. Because now not only there was physical tension. Now she wanted more. She realised how hard she'd worked at denying herself. It all came crashing down around her, scrambling her thoughts and clearing them at the same time, like the wind right before a big rain. Most of all, she allowed herself to realise how much she _felt_.

Her change of heart took her by surprise. It was sudden, like a switch refreshingly and deliciously interrupting the connection to her mind, to allow her to feel her emotions free from thoughts. For a brief second, she basked in these feelings, letting them overwhelm her, warm her. Ahhh… so new and refreshing. And to think she'd actually believed she would never manage to feel quite like this. It was a second of perfect joy. And then her thoughts crept back in. They were welcome thoughts this time. And she was able to laugh at herself and her idiocy. How could she have not noticed before? Everything up to this point had been a great act of hypocrisy, she could see it very clearly now. All of this time, there had been something there, she knew. She had always known. Even now, that was still there. But there was propriety to be considered, perhaps. She'd felt an underlying pressure to keep things uncomplicated, on very clear waters, without any troubles. All because she'd always been so very afraid of taking the risk, of getting too invested, only to be rejected. She had somehow convinced herself that Ranma would always reject her. Why? It had led her to cloak herself with a sense of deep friendship which allowed her to see the good, the bad, and the very bad in him, without a hint of desire to be felt, and still care for him. And in this way she wouldn't be hurt. Because he wouldn't be able to intrude in her life, and so she would be free to live it as her own.

But suddenly, walking by Ranma's side, feeling daring and shy at the same time, both from the alcohol consumed and his nearness, while a cooler, late evening summer breeze gave her the perfect excuse to walk closer to his side, Akane suddenly wanted more. It was a yearning. She suddenly wanted to know if everything that was there, always a subtle tension underneath, could come up to the surface.

The clarity of her emotions astonished her, making her stumble, forcing her to rush her next step so she could disguise the lack of balance in her walk.

'Oh, shit', was right.

But before she could take a second step, though, she was flooded by a sense of bitterness. Old habits die very, very hard. She felt this step was a synthesis of their life. She was suddenly choosing to hide her vulnerability, walking faster, ahead of him, away from him, instead of leaning against him for support. Wasn't this along the line of what she's been thinking of all this time? What she'd been building up to for a few days, now? Possibly even years?

She'd been thinking about it from the moment he'd asked her out, several days before. She'd thought about it as she'd stood in front of the mirror, choosing an outfit that would perhaps inspire her to feel like more than just a friend, like someone different. She'd thought about it when she'd clasped his arm to feel a bit more stable while walking on the street on high heels which hadn't seen a lot of use, all the time feeling his strength under her fingertips. She thought about it again, a more troubling thought than before, when as more people had boarded the elevator to the terrace, she'd decided to stand very close to him, close enough for his arm to snake around her waist and feel his palm resting ever so slightly on her hip.

She had thought about it as the waiter had led them to a rectangular table with unusual proportions, which would force them to seat a bit far away from each other, interrupting possibilities. She'd really thought about it and felt it in her body when she'd decided to stand up on shaky feet, with shaky breathing, and walk to the restrooms, her back to him, very self conscious that perhaps his eyes were following on every step. Scratch that. She's been certain of it. Her bare legs and short tight miniskirt would make sure of it, even if her sheer, loose dark blouse blurred most of her shape.

A big fat lie, this deep friendship. She'd thought about it all this time, all these years, each time they got back in touch, despite the distance, or the time that had passed, or the relationships they may have been in.

And now… Now that she'd more or less come to terms with what she sort of wanted, now that she'd pulled out her guns to let him know… Thank the heavens for the time that had passed, at least now she knew how to pull her freaking guns! But now, what she didn't know was what to do, how to continue with their evening, or if there would be more to continue at all. And that was why when her legs trembled slightly, making her even weaker with their accusation, bringing down on her the real weight of her emotions, she felt an anguish and sadness which were unfortunately very familiar. Because even if she'd been confused or in denial or whatever, her nerve could only take her so far. And now she'd reached that point when she was terrified to try anything else. What if she'd read him all wrong? At this point, anything else she tried would be too literal, too exposed. It was past the time for hints, subtle or not. She'd need even greater courage and character than she possessed to risk as big a fall as a flat out rejection. Because unfortunately, experience had taken up the responsibility of repeatedly letting her know that it was not worth to take such kind of risks. This was the point where everything stopped, normally. A touch of attraction, a breeze of intentions... followed by nothing else. Easy routine to feed illusions, and to develop an incredible skill to overcome frustrations. Or to fall into a depression. But now she wasn't feeling the slightest bit of courage. This was a bet she would not have the ability to lose, and walk away a whole person. This was _Ranma_, after all. So then, distance was better. Two steps, three. And suddenly, Akane was no longer walking beside him. She felt her heart break a little.

That was why the second she felt his warm hand wrap firmly around her wrist, stopping her, almost as if he'd known what was going on through her head, the relief she experienced was intense. Magical. She felt her chest expand, no longer under the pressure of pushing forward, of holding in the longing or the bitterness. Akane opened her mouth to say something, to turn around to stare at him and ask if there was anything wrong. A last attempt to protect herself, even now that she'd let her heart soar. Somehow she knew, allowing herself the illusion to hope, and continue to hope, and rejoice in it, like she did just now, just because of his hand around her wrist, she knew this hope was her ultimate act of courage. But somehow, she felt certain she would not come down and crash to pieces. The words were stuck in her throat. But she didn't really need them, because the decision in his movements was unquestionable. It didn't leave room for any doubts. And from where Ranma was holding her, from her wrist, she felt heat expand throughout her body, all the way into her heart, which gave a loud thump when he pulled her to him none too gently, stopping her with his other hand on her hip, and only when she'd been a mere centimetre away of crashing against his chest.

Akane stared into Ranma's eyes easily, the added height of her pumps helping out, while the hand on her wrist continued to pull, lifting her arm and helping her rest her shaky hand on his shoulder, almost like a dance, and then covering it with his, lacing their fingers together.

Again she tried to say something. Because it was strange. They were standing so close to each other that it was ridiculous. They were very obviously a lot more than friends. At least in this moment. But even this strangeness was easy, there was some comfort in it. Instead of saying anything, she took a very small step, setting their bodies in contact with each other, very slowly, and she breathed out, the tension in her body evaporating. This felt right. Several seconds went by, her ears filled with her loud heartbeats, Ranma's chest pressed against hers, when she suddenly noticed his breathing, as shaky as hers.

Akane closed her eyes for a bit, her mind reeling, getting a sense of what feeling wanted tasted like, enjoying the moment in which he had decided the turn the evening would take, when he'd decided what was going to happen to them, forcing her to give up her cherished control. She very slowly leaned her body into his, resting against him. Indescribable.

Akane opened her eyes lazily, and smiled against Ranma's face. She saw him trying to stare at her, his eyes moving over her features, paying close attention to her reactions, and smiling afterwards. And the seconds stretched out while they held each other, Akane's hands slowly making her way up over his shoulders, her arms crossing loosely behind his neck, feeling the hand that had been holding hers caressing her arm, then moving towards her torso. And all the while, his hold continued to tighten as much as she would allow, his arms finally wrapping around her waist with some quiet strength and tenderness.

It took such a long time, both of them enjoying the moment, it seemed to her. Both nervous and excited, but aware of the other's comfort in the situation, both their eyes slightly open, so as not to miss anything. Akane finally closed her eyes, and tried to caress Ranma's face with her own, wanting to feel him close, extending the moment, enjoying his nearness, learning his textures with the skin of her nose, her cheeks, her arms. It dragged on until she couldn't take it anymore.

Their lips met, softly, almost shyly, like a soft caress. Ohhh, how badly she needed that calm, that patience! A small chuckle tried to escape her throat, light and happy. And he felt his smile against her lips. It filled her with anticipation, with a yearning to give herself to him. Her heart sped up, and she felt her lung capacity wasn't nearly enough to keep up with this high she was experiencing. She felt the softness wasn't nearly enough, either. Ranma must have felt it, too, because his kiss suddenly intensified, becoming more demanding, asking for more intimacy. Akane felt his breathing, his chest expanding against hers, as his hold on her became possessive, one of his hands reaching up and wrapping around the back of her neck, pulling her even closer to him. She felt hot, her face and neck burning, until it spread all over her body.

Eventually they run out of breath, and tried to pull back slowly, clumsily. Only then Akane noticed that she had been barely standing on the tip of her toes, his hold on her so complete and certain, that it had lifted her slightly off the ground. Akane smiled once more when she felt his palm caressing her cheek, and without a hint of shyness, she sighed, closed her eyes, and dipped her head into his palm. She felt his lips reach out to kiss hers, to kiss the corner of her mouth, her nose, her lids, her cheekbones, her ear, her neck, and everywhere else they could reach.

He sighed, a deep, rumbling sound that reverberated in his chest, and she opened her eyes to see him staring at her once more.

"I'm cold, Ranma…" she said, her voice rough, deeper than usual, her body completely warm. But she needed to get home. Soon. Any excuse would do.

He grinned widely. Ahhhh… gorgeous… "Yeah, right," he answered, mockingly.

Feigning annoyance, Akane tried to push against his chest while he chuckled, immobile.

"No," Ranma said, a slightly more serious tone to his voice, his arms tightening around her. "Don't do that. Don't pretend to be angry, 'Kane… No more games, please".

Gods, yes, please.

She sighed and stopped her struggles, wrapping her arms around his neck once more, reaching out to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear, "No more games."

She felt him tilt his head to hide his face in her neck. His warm breath on her skin made her dizzy. He pulled back slightly to look at her again, his eyes roaming over her face.

"You're mine, now… yeah?" he asked. "I've always—"

She interrupted him by caressing his lips with her thumb, and nodding her head, his words enough to send her reeling again, and trouble her breathing.

He kissed her again, clumsily, as he smiled against her lips. And then suddenly he had untangled them to continue their slow pace, one step at a time. Only this time, Akane's legs were shaking with a different kind of emotion. Her heart felt fit to burst, full of hope and happiness and curiosity. His hand around hers, warm and large and strong, felt like a sweet anchor for her soul.

EL FIN

Author Notes:

This story was updated on 11th March 2015.

A bit of something that wouldn't leave my brain. I've revised it a few times. Mostly, I wrote it because I want it to help me remember a wonderful moment in life. My friends asked that I write it down for their reading pleasure, and then I figured, "Hey! That seems like it can totally fit into a Ranma setting!" I hope I've done a decent job at it. I know I tend to disregard all relevant elements of the Ranma 1/2 universe, and the references are so vague that if not for the names and family situations, it could be anything. I apologize for the vagueness. This bit of story has a very important place in my heart, and I hope the happiness and hope that it's filled with has reached you, and made you a bit happier, too :)

And for those wondering about The Chance of Change... My bad. Still working. Sad to say progress is sloooow. No publishing date in sight yet.

Thanks for reading! Comments welcome!


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